20 Minutes With: Extraordinary Adventure Club Founder Calum Morrison

Extraordinary Adventure Club arranges life-changing experiences—such as a motorcycle trip across the Mongolian desert.
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By

Mitch Moxley

Jan. 21, 2019 7:00 a.m. ET

What would it take to reinvent yourself?

That’s the central question the Extraordinary Adventure Club (EAC) poses to its rarified clientele. EAC was launched in 2010 by Calum Morrison, a former Royal Marine who wanted to apply some of the life lessons he learned while working in places as far flung as Georgia, Afghanistan, and Somalia to improving the lives of others. EAC creates bespoke adventures for its clients, with the aim of providing truly transformational experiences.

Beginning with a four-day retreat in the Scottish Highlands, EAC evaluates a client’s values and goals; does physical and psychological assessments with a team of experts that might include therapists and ex-military personnel; and then plans a series of life-altering experiences spanning the course of at least six months, and sometimes years. It’s a holistic approach aimed at helping clients rediscover something hidden within themselves. EAC’s philosophy is straightforward: “Let’s do whatever needs to be done for this individual and do it in a way that it’s going to result in transformational, lasting change,” Morrison says.

Starting at £175,o00 (US$225,500), the adventures might lead clients to the mountains of Patagonia, or the jungles of the Amazon. Hardcore, barebones travel might mix with unexpected luxuries, like a massage tent in the desert.

Morrison, 50, spoke with Penta from his home in the Highlands about the origins and aim of his company.

What in your own background inspired the Extraordinary Adventure Club?

I grew up in the Highlands of Scotland and from a very early age being outdoors and going on extended trips. I was part of the mountain rescue team at 15... I worked at Outward Bound (the outdoor learning and leadership programs) as an instructor, and seeing the kind of impact being out in the mountains could have on people, the kind of change that could have on people.

I joined the military and joined the Royal Marines, which is the hardest training you can do here in the U.K. It was really about the exploration of the self: stretching yourself, realizing your mind gives out before your body does. ... Having my own experience in a very intense environment is something that helped shape me.

How did EAC get started and what does the program entail?

We started in 2010. At the tail end of 2012, I got my first proper client. ... We work entirely by introduction and referrals. Each element up till now has been bespoke for the individual.

It all starts at a retreat in northern Scotland, or northern Norway—I’m part Norwegian—and during those days we template. Remove watches, phones, laptops, reconnect with nature… We all do it together. We look at what we can do with the individual, talk with a therapist.

And then we look forward. We look at your values. We find your compass bearing, and how many degrees you are away from that. What do you want your life to look like? What are you frightened of?

We look at the destination last. We’re essentially a personal development practice, we just use adventure and experiential learning. We’re not an adventure travel company that does a bit of developing.

EAC founder Calum Morrison.
Gray Hughes

What was the first adventure?

The first adventure was going to Mongolia. The client arrived from London with a suit and briefcase from his last meeting. He got undressed in the airport of Ulaanbaatar, handing over his phone, his computer, and his watch, which he wouldn’t see for 12 days.

We drove southwest through the night till 9. We woke in the morning and explained the journey we were going to undertake. He had always wanted to take a motorcycle journey in a remote place. I remember we were sitting on a carpet drinking tea and explaining the journey.

We rode alone through the desert. We stayed with camel herders.

The second part was he’d always wanted to join the military, so we got time slotted into the training schedule of South Africa’s preeminent anti-poaching team, which only happens every two years.

And what was the outcome of the experience for him?

One was disconnecting himself from his family history, the burden of responsibility. Pointing to a local in Mongolia and say, “Do you know this guy?” Pointing to another, “Do you know this guy?” Of course they don’t. We told him, “Look, nobody cares.” It was freeing for him.

The other was having adventures, having opportunities that shape him. Going forward, in the future, when times get difficult, he can think, “I’m the guy who did that. That’s the person who I am,” which was huge for him, having lived in the shadow of a powerful family.

Who are your main clients?

We’ve worked with everyone from 18-year-olds to 65-year-olds, male and female. Primarily our clients over the last couple of years have been women and under 35. They come from a variety of industries. Large enterprise families. People who have run businesses.

What are some of the destinations you’ve been to?

We’ve been all over, but the destination is kind of irrelevant. Mountain, jungle, it doesn’t matter. It’s what you do there. … the adventure is what you’re having inside.

We have a core team of eight and we bring associates in who are trusted to us. There is a team of coaches, therapists, psychotherapists—practitioners who are disruptive but hugely effective in their fields. It might be ex-military, it might be racing divers—it depends on what we’re doing and who we’re working with.

Do you work with clients after the time is done?

The scheduled time is by mutual agreement (with a minimum of six months). We’ve worked with one family for six years… my first client has become a good friend. We do maintain an engagement for a long period and become trusted advisors, because we are objectively supporting them in becoming the best version of themselves.

Are there lessons you’ve learned from coordinating these experiences that you can pass on to people who might not be able to do them themselves?

One is that you can have an adventure anywhere. You don’t have to go to Patagonia… The fundamental thing is that knowing and understanding and accepting oneself is an entirely noble pursuit, and not something to be shied away from.

And getting into nature, and getting attuned to your body and yourself… Getting out into an environment where you can disconnect, turning off your phone. Finding a quiet space, taking some time for yourself, and understanding that that is not selfish.

What are your future plans for EAC?

Our future plans are to continue to scale what we do. We work with treatment centers in rehab and recovery, and we want to continue to do that. Also, the Life Program, which is like a masters in personality development. And [to establish] actual clubs, so all those who have worked with us can go and it’s a safe space where they can share in a trusted environment.

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